China’s coal heartland aims for big cuts in pollutants over winter
City mayors, senior party officials to be held accountable for meeting tough targets during October-March period
Authorities in northern China’s Shanxi province, the country’s top coal producing region, will aim to cut concentrations of hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 by 40 per cent over the winter months, according to state media.
They would also aim to cut concentrations of sulphur dioxide – a key component of smog – by 40 per cent in the October-March period, Xinhua said, citing the province’s environmental protection bureau.
China is struggling to meet politically important air pollution targets for this year, with the coming winter season expected to see smog worsen in some regions, particularly in the north.
The World Health Organisation recommends PM2.5 concentrations of no more than 10 micrograms per cubic metre, yet China’s official air quality target is only 35 micrograms and much of the country records well above that level.
Provincial authorities have already promised to put municipal governments under more pressure to meet pollution targets, saying city mayors and top Communist Party officials will be held fully accountable if air quality declines this winter.